San Rafael nonprofit offers support group for homeless young people

Couch surfing, attending school, holding down multiple jobs and holing up in warm public places — these are daily activities for Marin's invisible population of homeless young people whom most people ignore or simply have no idea exists right here in their own community.

A team of formerly homeless young adults is working to acknowledge these youths and encourage them to join a support group created by the local nonprofit Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity, which helps people ages 16 to 25 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Within the past week the nonprofit has launched a new program aimed at making connections in San Rafael.

Narayan Khalsa, 26, and Ben Dougherty, 20, have been hired by the nonprofit to canvass places like Boyd Memorial Park for homeless young people. Both are making the transition out of homelessness themselves and looking for ways to help other young adults do the same.

"At this stage we're just trying to talk to them and develop some kind of relationship and let them know what's out there," Khalsa said. "It's hard to develop trust with people."

The idea behind the program, which was created by Khalsa and two other formerly homeless youths involved with the nonprofit, is that homeless young people will be more responsive to generational peers, especially those who have walked in their shoes.

Dougherty said so far the effort has been viewed favorably.

"They've welcomed us more warmly than we've anticipated," Dougherty said. "They've been open with us about changes they want in their lives."

Thus far the two men have met young homeless people who want to improve their lives, but are having trouble finding jobs because of their criminal records. The lack of affordable housing and not having a stable place to live were also listed as barriers.

Those who want to help themselves and meet other homeless youths are encouraged to attend weekly meetings at Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity's new San Rafael office, next to Saint Raphael Church on Fifth Avenue. There Zara Babitzke, the nonprofit's founder and executive director, helps them obtain an assortment of services ranging from haircuts to transitional housing.

But Babitzke said it's the young people who really help each other by creating an emotionally supportive environment where people can share their troubles and feel supported.

"They really take care of one another," Babitzke said.

One 20-year-old homeless man who attends the nonprofit's meetings and has been helped by Babitzke said the program is a great idea, and he hopes to become involved.

"It takes somebody who lived it. You can't just approach somebody and say 'Hey I can smell you from around the block, you might be homeless, let's talk,'" he said.

The College of Marin student has been homeless for about a year and wished to remain anonymous. He said his parents kicked him out of the house when he graduated high school.

With no home and nothing to do, he began to drink alcohol in large quantities during the summer, but said he has since stopped. When he's unable to find a couch to sleep on, he will walk all night to stay awake and then sleep in local parks during the safer daylight hours.

"It's frightening. I've stayed in post office lobbies that are open 24 hours because its warm," he said.

Formerly homeless nonprofit participant James Hayes, 30, can relate. He became homeless at 18 when he aged out of a group home. But now he has a stable place to live, a job, is taking college courses and still attending meetings with other participants in the program.

Hayes credits Babitzke and her supportive nonprofit with helping him succeed.

"If you don't have support in your life, it's very hard to be in this situation and move forward," Hayes said. "We're like somebody's second parent, helping them navigate rental agreements and things like that. We help people get back on their feet."

Formerly homeless participant Sam Laidig, 21, agreed.

"We're like a connector, an operator. AHO exists more for people to access resources," Laidig said.

After going to college for a year and dropping out, Laidig said he became homeless after experiencing conflicts with his parents.

After couch surfing for many months, the nonprofit helped him find a place to live, paying for the first few months of rent. It's been 18 months since then and he now has a job.

While the San Rafael program is still in its fledgling stages, Babitzke said the hope is the team will help the nonprofit reach an additional 200 new participants each year beyond the 150 people the nonprofit serves on an ongoing basis for up to five years.

Support group participant Lindsay Rucker, 28, said she knows what it's like to be young, lost and not have any support. The precariously housed Rucker said the nonprofit's networking services and social support system have helped her greatly — and she hopes it can help others.

"It does help me strengthen my own confidence and ways to get around in this world," Rucker said.